The Alexandria Black History Museum will host a free workshop, The Will to Adorn. This event is suitable for all ages and is free. Reservations are encouraged but not required to attend.

African American traditions of dress and body adornment are creative expressions that reveal ideas, values, skills, and knowledge rooted on the African continent and in the American experience. Do you style your own hair? Embellish your sneakers? Design clothing or jewelry? Collect hats? Take selfies with your family and friends in the latest styles? Wear graphic T-shirts expressing your points of view? Then you may have the “will to adorn.”

Folklorist Diana Baird N’Diaye of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage guides audiences through an exciting journey of discovery about how we make meaning through what we choose to wear, how we groom our hair, and how we refashion and adorn our bodies. Working with Dr. N’Diaye will be folklorist and educator Paddy Bowman of Local Learning: The National Network for Folk Arts in Education.

As Director of the Smithsonian’s Will to Adorn Project, Dr. N’Diaye links young people with community artisans of style in several cities, gathering stories of African Americans’ diverse identities expressed through attire and adornment. Join us for a lively and intriguing presentation that will engage people of all ages.